Monthly Archives: December 2009

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ARCADIA — A would-be robber struck a man on the head Wednesday during a failed heist in Arcadia, police said.The crime occurred shortly before 2 p.m. in an alley behind the 1300 block of South Golden West Avenue, Arcadia police Sgt. Stephen Fallavollita said.The victim, a 57-year-old man, was walking when he was approached by a white man wearing a dark-colored hooded parka and carrying a revolver, the sergeant said.The robber demanded the man’s wallet, he said, and the two became involved in a brief fight.The victim was struck on the head with the handgun but did not wish to be taken to the hospital, Fallavollita said.The gunman was last seen fleeing the area on foot, he said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will not file charges against an El Monte police officer who kicked a suspect in the face at the end of a pursuit.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, prosecutors said Officer George Fierro was justified in kicking Richard Rodriguez because the officer feared Rodriguez might try to get up off the ground.

Prosecutors described the kick as a “distraction blow to get (Rodriguez) top submit to the arrest.”

Prosecutors also said they would not charge Officer James Singleterry, who hit Rodriguez four times on the arm with a flashlight. The kick followed a high speed car chase on May 13. At the end of the chase, Rodriguez crashed his car and ran.

COVINA — A man being arrested on suspicion of public drunkenness Sunday led police to some allegedly stolen alcohol, authorities said.Sean Haley, 33, of West Covina was booked on suspicion of being drunk in public, receiving stolen property and violating parole, Covina police Lt. John Curley said.The incident began about 3:15 p.m. when people called police to report a man acting suspiciously in front of a 7-Eleven store at 1275 W. San Bernardino Road, the lieutenant said.Officers found Haley and determined he was drunk, Curley said.Before being brought back to the station, Haley told officers to make sure to bring the jacket, hat and bottled vodka he’s left near the convenience store, Curley said.The bottles of vodka still had anti-theft caps from a West Covina Vons supermarket, he said, and security officers at the store confirmed the alcohol was stolen.According to sheriff’s booking records, Haley was being held in lieu of $20,000, though Curley said he was expected to be held without bail because of his status as a parolee. It was not clear late Sunday what Haley was on parole for.

A young man was wounded in a possibly gang-related shotgun attack Sunday in an unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte, officials said.The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. at Beckville Street and Broderick Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Walker said.A 21-year-old Monrovia man was walking in the area when he was approached by a silver Suzuki vehicle containing five male Latinos, the sergeant said.One of the men inside the Suzuki opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun, Walker said, striking the victim in the back, legs and buttocks.He was hospitalized with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, the sergeant added.No gang-affiliations were immediately apparent, Walker said, however sheriff’s gang investigators were looking into the possibility the shooting was gang-related.

LA PUENTE — Deputies jailed a man on suspicion of driving under the influence following a crash that sent a bicyclist to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said.Frank Lanning, 40, of La Puente was booked on suspicion of DUI, sheriff’s officials said.The crash occurred just after 9 p.m. at Temple and Puente avenues, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Pete Cacheiro said.The bicyclist, whom firefighters described as a 35-year-old man, was riding in a crosswalk when he was struck by the SUV, Cacheiro said.He suffered head trauma and was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, officials said. An update on his condition was not available Sunday.According to court records, Lanning was being held in lieu of $102,500 bail and is due for arraignment in El Monte Superior Court Tuesday.

EL MONTE – Two men accused of stabbing and badly injuring a grocery store worker were behind bars Sunday, authorities said.Johnny Ngo, 29, of West Covina and Allen Tran, 28, of El Monte were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, El Monte police said in a written statement.Police responded to a robbery alarm about 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Ted’s Quality Market, 2514 Durfee Avenue.“When officers arrives, they determined a robbery had not occurred, however a cashier had been stabbed several times,” according to the police statement.The injured clerk, a 29-year-old woman, was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment, officials said. She was listed in stable condition early Sunday.She was stabbed twice in the arm and once in the chest, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said. Ngo is believed to have wielded the knife.Ngo and Tran allegedly fled the scene in blue Acura Legend following the stabbing, according to the police statement. Witnesses were able to copy down the license plate number.Tran was arrested Saturday evening when he showed up at the hospital, Batres said. Ngo was jailed Sunday morning at his home in West Covina.A motive in the stabbing was not clear Sunday, Batres said, but the victim was acquainted with Tran.According to sheriff’s booking records, Tran and Ngo were both being held without bail and are due for arraignment Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court.

WEST COVINA — Police asked the public’s help Sunday in the mysterious killing of one man and the wounding of another.Ivan Munoz, 24, of Pomona was killed in the incident, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Selena Barros said.Another 24-year-old man was badly injured, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said. It was not immediately clear if the men had been shot, stabbed or suffered some other type of injury.A car pulled into the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store at Valley Boulevard and Sentous Avenue shortly before 1:50 a.m., Lopez said.“The driver stumbled out of the car, ran into the parking lot and fell down,” said the corporal.As witnesses came to help, the injured man told them there was another man inside the car, Lopez said. Munoz’s body was found in the passenger seat.Police suspect the incident may have originally occurred outside the Margarita Jones Restaurant in West Covina, 1125 W. West Covina Parkway, Lopez said, though they have been unable to confirm it.Few details were known about the incident, and no suspect information was available.“We haven’t been able to get much information from him because of his injuries,” Lopez said.Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Covina Police Department.Sunday’s slaying was second homicide in three days in West Covina, and the 11th the city has seen this year.Shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve, police responded to a “shots fired” in the 1500 block of Harbert Street where they found Jesus Saucedo-Herrera, 32, fatally shot in his apartment.A father and son from West Covina were arrested Friday in connection with the slaying and were being held in lieu of $1 million bail.A third man, suspected of being the gunman in the fatal shooting, remained at large.A motive in the shooting was not released.

WEST COVINA — Police Sunday released the name and photograph of a local man suspected of fatally shooting another man on Christmas Eve.Charles Benjamin Torres, 26, of West Covina is wanted in connection with the slaying of 32-year-old West Covina resident Jesus Saucedo-Herrera, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said.Saucedo-Herrera was found fatally shot shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve inside his apartment in the 1500 block of Harbert Street, police said.Further details about the shooting were not available.Carlos Torres, 53, of West Covina and his son Jordan Torres, 21, were arrested Friday in connection with the slaying and were being held in lieu of $1 million bail.Charles Torres, brother to Jordan Torres and son of Carlos Torres, is believed to have been the gunman in the fatal shooting, police added.He is described as a Latino, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, Lopez said. He has a noticeable tattoo on the front of his neck.Anyone who sees him is advised not to approach him, but to call 9-1-1 immediately, Lopez said.A motive in the killing was not released.

PHOTO of Charles Torres courtesy of the West Covina Police Department.

LA PUENTE — A bicyclist was hospitalized with serious injuries Saturday after he was struck by an SUV, authorities said.The crash involved an SUV and was reported just after 9 p.m. at Puente and Temple avenues, according to California Highway Patrol logs.The injured man, 35, was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with head trauma, Los Angeles County Fire Department Lt. Larry Duran said. His exact condition was unknown.The cause of the crash was being investigated by deputies from the sheriff’s Industry Station, Lt. Pete Cacheiro said.Authorities were looking into the possibility that the driver of the SUV may have been intoxicated late Saturday.

According to the Associated Press, Charlie Sheen has been jailed on domestic violence-related charges:

Charlie Sheen was arrested yesterday in the Colorado resort town of Aspen on charges related to domestic violence, police said.

The star of CBS’s Two and a Half Men was taken into custody on suspicion of second-degree assault and menacing, both felonies, along with criminal mischief, a misdemeanour, Aspen police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro said.

Mr. Sheen and his wife, Brooke Mueller Sheen, had “physical contact” but “the issue will be who started it,” a report on celebrity website TMZ.com alleged.

“Do not be misled by appearance. Appearance and reality can be as different as night and day,” Mr. Sheen’s publicist, Stan Rosenfield, told TMZ. He also released a statement saying, “It would benefit everyone not to jump to any conclusion.”

Police arrested the 44-year-old actor after responding to a 911 call regarding a report of domestic violence at 8:34 a.m. The alleged victim, whose name was withheld, was not taken to hospital, police said.

Ms. Dasaro said Mr. Sheen posted bond and was released from jail hours after he was arrested.

She said he posted the $8,500 bond yesterday after speaking with a county judge and was advised on the conditions of his release.

Ms. Dasaro declined to name the accuser, citing a department policy prohibiting the identification of potential victims in domestic violence cases.

Ms. Sheen gave birth to the couple’s first children, twin boys, in March. They married in May of 2008 after Mr. Sheen’s bitter divorce from actress Denise Richards.

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